SAM
I was very worried about Danny and his demonic dad. We needed help, and I thought of a friend from graduate school who was now with the FBI. I called her. “Is this the infamous Helen of Troy?” She and I were graduate students together in a doctoral program in Evolution of Consciousness and have been friends for fifteen years. We had exchanged rather lengthy nicknames about that many years ago.
“Yes, and this must be the Sage by the Sea Sam? And you are calling me right at the end of dinner.’
“Oh shit. It’s only five here on the left coast. Sorry about that. Your world is three hours older than mine. I’ll call back if that’s better. I do have a rather sad and dangerous case I need to talk to you about.”
I told her about Danny and said, “I worry that his dad might shoot up our school, and I’ll zoom to you part of his story.” When I finished showing the film and Danny told me his story, with his permission to share it with the FBI, I could hear her heavy breathing and see her tears. I turned the picture off when we heard Danny deciding to call his dad, Ratso. “So, Helen, you see the reason for my call. Obviously, his dad is a very disturbed man - a sociopath who is dangerous and very intelligent. And I’m afraid that Danny is not only in danger, but so is everyone around him, including me and everyone here at school, and the family he’s staying with. Danny is only twelve and very smart, but he does not realize how dangerous his dad really is. He said that he saw him kill his own father, but never took a day off from his work as the one and only Deputy Sheriff. He, the Deputy, has it set up there in the little town in the rural county in Mississippi, so everyone is afraid of him. So…”
“I agree, he does sound like a very sick man and a very dangerous one.” Helen was a clinical psychologist as well as having a doctorate in consciousness. “What is the situation of the Sheriff of the county?”
“Danny says that the guy is in his late seventies or eighties and shows up only around election time and then pretty much lets his, and I quote, ‘very efficient and intelligent deputy’, handle things. Danny says, for example, that Ratso – that’s Danny’s new name for dad, after I said he was misusing the word asshole, because assholes are useful, and that I hated useless rattlesnakes, and they would make a better name. He laughed a little and said, ‘Then I’ll call him Ratso.’ The boy is clever.”
“How long has Danny been in the San Diego area? And how did he get to California?”
25
“That is quite a story. He hitchhiked. He found an old fellow at a truck stop and talked him into letting him ride along with him in his eighteen-wheeler – wherever he was going. Danny is tall for his age – five feet, one or two - and at age twelve, he could pass for sixteen. He’s been here about four weeks, I think. I’ve told the county social worker, a very bright and caring young woman named Clair Danley. She found a good temporary foster home for him. She shares my worry. I don’t want to take him out of Two Thousand Smiles because he needs the feeling of safety and warmth we can provide at the same time. I don’t want to endanger the students and staff. I haven’t told Danny how concerned I am. He’s very fearful for his mom and sisters, and I don’t want to add to his worries.”
“So we need to take action now. I’ll call the FBI office there in San Diego and ask them to help us. I’ll call you back as soon as I hang up. I’ll make sure they understand the danger and urgency. Have you called the police there yet?”
“Yes, and they will send out two extra plainclothes officers in the morning. There is always one plain-clothed police officer every school day, but only a few of the staff know who they are. This will be the first time in years they will possibly be needed.” Helen said she’d get back to me about the FBI in San Diego. My contact at the SD County Sheriff’s Office is Lance Keating.”
After I finished the call to Helen, I thought I’d get home in time to see Michelle breastfeed our baby girl, Sasha. We had named our first offspring, four-year-old Barack. We named both after our favorite historical presidential family, and we flipped a coin to see if our girl would be Malia or Sasha. Michelle worked from home as an editor for one of our local colleges’ magazines. So, our ‘babies’ are well cared for. In her soft voice, she whispered, “The dinner is ready. Would you please put it all on the table?” I told Michelle a bit about Danny’s plight while we ate. I was reminded that Barack was growing out of babyhood when he asked, “What’s an asshole, Daddy?” Uh, oh.
Helen called just as I had finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher. “Sam, I’ve got some good news. I asked my boss here if I could join the team to help you, Danny, and his family, and she agreed. You remember that in the doctoral program, I worked hard to tone down my southern accent?” I nodded, and she continued, “Well, I’m going to resurrect it. And we’re in luck again because one of our classmates, Marty Burnes, is stationed in the Biloxi, Mississippi, FBI field office, and he’s willing to help us.” I liked that she was so excited and so proactive. I remembered how quick and decisive she had been in our doctoral program. I thought there for a minute that she was about to jump through the screen and jump up and down in front of me.
“Sam, you still with me?” I guess I wasn’t sounding as excited as she thought I should, so I shouted a loud Yes. She went on, “Tell me what you think. Tonight, we’ll have a Zoom meeting with you, me, Clair the social worker, Danny, and Marty. Before we meet, you and Clair talk with Danny about his family and the about the old sheriff.
Meanwhile, I’ll search online for any additional details that might be helpful. Then, I was thinking that Marty and I play like a couple who are trying to find out something about a family member of one of the people there – his dad, the old sheriff, or someone. And while we’re doing that, we’ll sneak his mom and sisters out of that dinky little town or county or whatever. Remember, Marty is from Mississippi and requested to be assigned there.
"So, what do you think?"
“I think you’re a genius. I’ll give Danny and Clara a call as soon as we hang up.”
